Peter Szijjarto's announcement came after Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) allegedly dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast.
The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
A sign above the entrance to a branch of Raiffeisen Bank JSC in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 23, 2022. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Raiffeisen Bank International has suspended efforts to sell its unit in Russia amid warming ties between Moscow and Washington, the Financial Times (FT) reported on April 18, citing undisclosed sources.
Austria's Raiffeisen, the largest Western bank still operating in Russia, has long been scrutinized for failing to exit the country's market despite the EU and U.S. sanctions imposed at the outbreak of the full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022.
While initially announcing intent to sell its Russian branch, Raiffeisen decided in February to pause this effort amid U.S. President Donald Trump's diplomatic outreach to Russia, the FT wrote.
The outlet's sources nevertheless said that the situation might still change.
Trump's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine have largely stalled as Moscow continues to reject a full 30-day truce, and the partial pause on strikes against energy facilities failed to hold.
Russian and U.S. officials have, nevertheless, floated the possibility of economic cooperation as part of the eventual settlement in Ukraine, and the rapprochement has already signaled positive developments for the Russian economy.
Raiffeisen told the FT that the process to sell its Russian unit is ongoing, but clarified that a Russian court ruling from September 2024, which froze the subsidiaries' assets, precluded the finalization of the process.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
